Despite an investigation that found no arms were shipped to Russia by the South African government, outgoing US ambassador Reuben Brigety says he stands by his statement.
In an interview with the Sunday Times this week, Brigety, who shocked South Africans with his damning claim which shook the economy and damaged the country's reputation, said he had had the full backing of Washington when he made the allegation.
Brigety sent the country into a tailspin last year when he convened a number of journalists in his office to declare that SA was in cahoots with Russia.
The claims came as Russia was waging war against its neighbour Ukraine which saw the world's nuclear powers banding together against Russian President Vladimir Putin's administration.
In the days after Brigety’s allegations, the rand fell about 4.6% to its weakest level against the dollar, stopping just short of breaching R20, with South Africa’s relations with the US in jeopardy. The allegations placed in jeopardy South Africa’s favourable trade agreement under the US's African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa).
“When I was convoked by the foreign minister in May 2023 I apologised fully and unreservedly for speaking out of turn. Our governments have agreed that the substance of that matter will remain in official diplomatic channels. This is a strategic relationship that has many aspects that both of us enjoy, and we look forward to continuing to work together,” said Brigety.
He said his initial statement stands.
“My statement stands as it is. In following my statement, the President of the US and the secretary of state expressed their full confidence in my tenure,” he said.
Brigety leaves his post after the elections that saw Donald Trump re-elected. The US has been accused by some politicians, including in the ANC, of interfering in South African elections.
The DA has in the past made claims of close ties with the US with several of its senior leaders travelling to Washington. Most recently, DA federal chair Helen Zille told the SABC she had met president-elect Trumps close associates. She alleged the collapse of the GNU would result in SA losing out on Agoa.
Brigety, however, sought to delegitimise Zille's claims, saying the US had no view on the South African elections.
“Let me be emphatic about this, emphatically clear. The United States had absolutely no say and no preference in the South African elections ... SA is a sovereign, democratic country. Who South Africans choose to lead them is entirely their view, and it has always been our view that we will work with whoever the elected government of the day is. We said that before the elections, and we have said it since,” he said.
He said Washington was “deeply impressed” by the way the ANC handled its election losses, saying it was a historic development for democracy on the continent.
“I think it serves a very strong signal to democracies and also to governing parties everywhere. I think is an extraordinary thing. And, as I say, we will continue to work with the elected government of the day.”
The relationship between the ambassador and the ANC suffered last year after his infamous media briefing when he called out the then governing party's “hostility” towards the US. Brigety cited a resolution the party adopted at its elective conference in 2022 that blamed the war in Ukraine on US foreign policy and the expansion of Nato.
It remains policy ... that Agoa should be extended and SA should be included in that extension
— Reuben Brigety
But Brigety said he now believes the relationship is “constructive”.
“We have continued to have open communications with the ANC. I have had a number of engagements with ANC leaders since then. They are private but they have been open and constructive, as we have had with other political parties in SA ... I am hopeful that those lines of communication, which have been opened — forced open maybe in some circumstances — will remain open, because it's very important that they were able to continue to talk to each other, and as I've said, they're able to continue to find each other.
“You can't clap with one hand. Dialogue requires both sides and respect is reciprocal. It is my hope that having understood what the challenges are for not being in constant, respective dialogue with each other, then we will make a habit of being in constant respectful dialogue and move with each other.”
The US congressional chair of the house subcommittee on Africa, John James, this week introduced a bill to reauthorise Agoa until 2037 with South Africa as one of the beneficiaries, he said.
Brigety said this was an interesting development which would see a multiple possibility.
“It remains the policy of the Biden administration that Agoa should be extended and SA should be included in that extension. So these are live conversations that are happening on the Hill [the Capitol] right now. We don't know how Congress is going to adjudicate them but we will see.”
He said that he was convinced he leaves his post having built stronger ties and having created greater forms of communication.
“I will always be a friend of SA,” he said.
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